Madison County Board of Supervisors will begin negotiations to outsource ADAPT program

WAMPSVILLE - A near-unanimous decision Tuesday by the Madison County Board of Supervisors will move forward the outsourcing of the ADAPT program.

All but Smithfield Supervisor Rick Bargabos voted in favor for privatizing the outpatient substance abuse and mental illness evaluation and treatment program. The program, which is not mandated by the state, has run at a deficit in recent years by as much as $89,174 and as little as $10,906. The move to privatize follows a trend the county created last year with the outsourcing of its home health care and long-term home health care agency.

A task force was formed early this year to oversee the process of selecting a suitable agency to take over the program. Of the 50 agencies that were contacted, four responded with interest in the proposition. The task force narrowed the selection to one: Family Counseling Services of Cortland County. The board accepted their proposal at Tuesday's meeting.

Several supervisors offered insight into their decision prior to being polled for their vote.

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Bargabos, the lone supervisor against the change, pointed to the county's Community Service Board's near-unanimous vote against privatization. While the board doesn't have governing authority, it's job is to make recommendations to the supervisors. Bargabos criticized county officials leading the charge to privatize, calling the urgency to relinquish the program a "self-imposed crisis."

The quick action, in the wake of the Community Service Board's decision will give the panel members "the impression that it's being shoved down their throats," he said. He felt the decision was being made hastily and called for action to be slowed until the board and supervisors can reach a consensus.

Brookfield Supervisor John Salka, chairman of the Social and Mental Health Services Committee, disagreed, saying the county's options were "researched extensively" and well thought out. He was confident that the private agency will do a sufficient job.

Lebanon Supervisor Jim Goldstein said he was "on the fence" about the prospect of privatization but said the change could help cover gaps in care. He and Hamilton Supervisor Eve Ann Shwartz expressed interest in seeing the final agreement between the county and Family Counseling Services once a contract is negotiated. Shwartz said she was "reluctantly" voting yes but emphasized the need for the county to maintain the ability to oversee the program and ensure proper care. She too said the change was moving too fast and agreed that the Community Service Board's opinion is important.

By supervisors' meeting in November, Administrative Assistant Mark Scimone said a contract should be negotiated and ready for the board's approval. The ADAPT program, which at full capacity employs 11, will likely lay off two people with its outsourcing, Mental Health Director Jim Yonai said. Many positions will eliminated as a result of retirements and several employees will be retained in other mental health department programs.

It's unclear how much money will be saved. Board of Supervisors Chairman John Becker warned as the budget season approaches that the county will struggle through another difficult year.

"Government cannot be everything to everybody," he said. The county "can't fund everything" and needs to "slim down" he said. "We're heading toward a fiscal cliff."

He issued a "word of warning" about next year's budget. Cazenovia Supervisor Ralph Monforte encouraged residents to spend locally. He emphasized the impact buying local has on sales tax revenue and asked residents to "recognize the value of those purchases." By spending elsewhere, they're taking their money away from their own community, he said. If every resident spent one more dollar a day in Madison County every day for a year, $500,000 additional would be raised in sales tax revenue, he said. It's not feasible for the county both have low taxes and fund programs and benefits, he said.

In an effort to inform taxpayers of the financial burdens the county must work through, the board is entertaining a local law that would allow officials to start a campaign to provide residents with detailed information on what their tax dollars are used for.

It would highlight how much of each resident's property tax bill is spent on Medicaid, welfare and other mandates, along with an illustration of how much those mandates use up the county budget. Information on how to contact state and federal representatives will also be included in what's dispersed to residents. At Tuesday's meeting the board tabled the resolution over the name of the local law and will reintroduce it at its next meeting.